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Check
your Router with the
Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool for Windows Vista
By Mitz
Free computer Tips
Before you upgrade to Windows Vista you can now check if
your internet connection, your network, and your router will support the new
features in Windows Vista.
Basic Internet Connectivity Test
This test is intended to ensure that your computer has basic
Internet connectivity, which is needed for the rest of the tests.
Network Address Translator Type
One primary function of most home Internet routers is Network
Address Translation (NAT). Routers providing NAT support assign private IP
addresses on the local network. NAT maps these private addresses on the
inside network to a public IP address on the outside network so that
computers behind the Internet router can communicate with the rest of the
Internet. Since Network Address Translators can work in different ways, this
test uses Microsoft servers to identify your router's NAT type. Some
protocols work better through routers that act as cone-type NATs than
routers that act as symmetric-type NATs.
Success of this test means that your Internet router or firewall acts
similar to a cone NAT. This means that it helps applications which use
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) to connect, regardless of your ISP's IPv6
support. For example, in Windows Vista you can collaborate with others
across the Internet using Windows Meeting Space.
Traffic Congestion Test
This test attempts to download a short Web document, first with
ECN enabled and then again with ECN disabled. If both downloads succeed, the
test passes, which indicates that your Internet router successfully allows
packets through with ECN options set.
TCP High Performance Test
This test downloads a series of Web documents of increasing
length until either an incomplete download is encountered or all downloads
succeed. Success indicates that your router allows Windows Vista to
negotiate the best data transfer rate and help improve download speeds.
UPnP Support Test
This test ensures that the router has
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)
enabled, can support a reasonable number of open ports, and can maintain
these settings.
Now days programs need to open ports to
allow incoming traffic through your router. This is how programs are
updated.
Multiple Simultaneous Connection States Test
Passing this test indicates that your router supports multiple
computers or programs accessing the Internet simultaneously.
Notes:
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